Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

Developing the technologies, policies and strategies to turn crisis into opportunity.

From Crisis to Opportunity

Climate change could drastically disrupt the economy, human health and quality of life in Los Angeles County over the coming decades. UCLA researchers predict that Los Angeles will be hotter — with more frequent and dangerous heat waves, increased wildfire risk and decreased snowpack to feed local water supplies. It will also be more crowded, with an estimated increase of 1.5 million residents by 2050. A hotter and more populous Los Angeles will increase pressure on the energy, transportation and water infrastructures, as well as exacerbate public health problems and stress wildlife habitats.

To help proactively address these issues, UCLA launched the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge in 2013. This initiative aims to transition Los Angeles County to 100% renewable energy and 100% locally sourced water by 2050, while enhancing the ecosystem and human health.

This monumental effort will require our region to address our troubled transportation systems, stanch the loss of wildlife habitat, and tackle unsustainable water and power demands. An interdisciplinary team of faculty, researchers, students, partner institutions, managers, policymakers and community stakeholders work together to develop strategies that can achieve these goals.

The initial step in the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge was the creation of a Five-Year Work Plan, which outlines innovative research projects that can help achieve the sustainability goals. The next step is to create an Implementation Plan. This tactical plan will detail the technologies, strategies and policies needed to put L.A. on a path to sustainability.

Your gift to the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge can help fund further research, design programs and make recommendations for possible solutions, including:
• Energy generation
• Transportation
• Urban planning
• Water harvesting
• Natural resources management

Your gift can be part of a grand collective effort to build a better Los Angeles and a better future.

Wastewater collection centers can be both practical and pretty.
L.A. is a car-centric town, so low-emission cars are a must for busy roadways.
Green roofs offer a new perspective on urban growth.
"Seal Beach Tidal City” shows sprawl in harmony with land and sea (rendering by Megavoids SUPRASTUDIO).
An interdisciplinary team at UCLA is researching ways to make L.A. County sustainable.
By 2050, the goal is that Los Angeles County will locally source 100% of its water.
Solar farms harvest the sun's energy and turn it into power.
Designing affordable, low-impact homes is part of a sustainable future.